Thread: small fun car with manual gearbox

Originally Posted by Colmoore

I disagree, 2nd hand Subaru Impreza’s (although maybe not classed as small?) from 15 - 20 yrs ago handle nicely, go ok and are strong, pretty safe and reliable I’ve found. Definitely fun to drive.

Like Landrover’s, they need maintaining but not overly much.
Also like Landrover’s, they’re under powered, which may be fine/best for the kids? I sold my last one about 5 years ago to a P plater; it had 420k kms on and still went well, no smoke and it’s still getting around!

if you want proper go, and proper fun, get the WRX and better still, the STI, if it’s in your budget! P platers can’t have em though and if your Mrs drives gently they will need the cobwebs blown out regularly, but I wouldn’t have thought that would be an issue….

This is going to sound really dumb .... But outright performance isn't my idea of a "fun" car ... though it is fun. You see .... The "funnest" car around here to drive is a Citroen 2cv... If you don't know what one is .... think a weird looking upside down umbrella that's pretending to be a car ... massively long travel suspension .... ludicrous bodyroll.... A "whole" 602cc of throbbing 2cylinder performance ... you might even have 25hp on tap if its a good day. Yet you'll find yourself absolutely beating it to death ... corning on the doorhandles .... tyres falling over onto there sidewalls around corners .... With the most crazed ridiculous grin on your face the entire time.

I've done drivedays and driven a Lamborghini, ferrari, lotus .... driven WRX's, and other cars that are fast. Well I loved the ferrari ... just incredible ... what a vehicle, the lambo with 4wd, stupid paddle shift and endless performance would bore me to tears in seconds. The WRX was much the same, its tremendously capable ... but boring as bat **** (not to mention laggy as hell.... then holy **** crash into the back of what's infront). And old V8 commonbore I could slide around corners when the mood takes me would be way more fun (but also suddenly crazy expensive these days).

Anything that people consider a "real" performance car, I'm not a good enough driver to be able to have fun in . I'd be just like a bug splattered over the landscape the first time they stepped out on me

There was a 2CV trip to the Tip of Cape York several years ago and AFAIR about a dozen took part, several from overseas.
As I was driving south past the Port Macquarie turnoff I came up to one on the highway.
I was doing 110 towing my camper trailer with my 91RRC and passed it. On the next downhill it actually passed me doing about 115 I guess flat chat and then dropped back on the next uphill with flapping half driver's window and all.
Good effort for a 602CC.
Speaking of that reminded me of the Honda N600G that I had many many years ago.
It was ex PNG .
As the sports version of the N360, It had 600CC of throbbing twin that rattled its roller crank on idle like it was going to blow apart at any time.

It would do about 90Mph and I used to scare the **** out of fellow Ford employees when we would run up to the Kalkallo pub at lunchtime, as there was a big hill on the way back when she used to get up to over 90 maybe 100 with doors flapping. ( the speedo flapped around so much you couldn't tell)
The heater was a crude sleeve over the cylinders so in Melbourne it had to go, so we gave it to my wife's cousin a sister of mercy in Adelaide who drove it trouble free for another 10 years.
I think that that was the most fun small car that I ever had.
Regards PhilipA
Speaking of manual gearbox it had a constant mesh dog clutch gearbox with the shifter sticking out of the dash. Lightning changes.

Originally Posted by PhilipA

There was a 2CV trip to the Tip of Cape York several years ago and AFAIR about a dozen took part, several from overseas.
As I was driving south past the Port Macquarie turnoff I came up to one on the highway.
I was doing 110 towing my camper trailer with my 91RRC and passed it. On the next downhill it actually passed me doing about 115 I guess flat chat and then dropped back on the next uphill with flapping half driver's window and all.
Good effort for a 602CC.
Speaking of that reminded me of the Honda N600G that I had many many years ago.
It was ex PNG .
As the sports version of the N360, It had 600CC of throbbing twin that rattled its roller crank on idle like it was going to blow apart at any time.

It would do about 90Mph and I used to scare the **** out of fellow Ford employees when we would run up to the Kalkallo pub at lunchtime, as there was a big hill on the way back when she used to get up to over 90 maybe 100 with doors flapping. ( the speedo flapped around so much you couldn't tell)
The heater was a crude sleeve over the cylinders so in Melbourne it had to go, so we gave it to my wife's cousin a sister of mercy in Adelaide who drove it trouble free for another 10 years.
I think that that was the most fun small car that I ever had.
Regards PhilipA
Speaking of manual gearbox it had a constant mesh dog clutch gearbox with the shifter sticking out of the dash. Lightning changes.

The 2cv nutters do organise "raids" in different countries around the world They take all the scenic tracks. You must have seen raid Arnhem. I'd love to do one of those suckers someday.

Raid Arnhem 2016 Photos

I never owned a 2CV when I lived in the UK but was going to buy one to build a Lomax 3-wheeler.
After years of motorcycling the lack of a roof didn't worry me, being on 3-wheels in snow & ice appealed. Instead I used a P&M Panther with a Watsonian Palma sidecar.


Lomax (kit car) - Wikipedia




Colin

In '05 I met Rupert, a young, pommy bloke, at the Pentecost crossing of the Gibb River Road. He was waiting for some one in a fourbie to accompany him across, as the water was a bit deeper than he wanted. (He did it, no worries)

He had driven from the UK, across Europe, down through Africa, shipped the vehicle to Perth and was in the process of an Oz circumnavigation. He'd just completed the Savannah Way and was heading to Broome via the Gibb and then back to Perth and home to UK.

Not a lot of bling there.

Photo is at 'Home Valley' station, from memory.

CV2.jpg

Originally Posted by gromit

I never owned a 2CV when I lived in the UK but was going to buy one to build a Lomax 3-wheeler.
After years of motorcycling the lack of a roof didn't worry me, being on 3-wheels in snow & ice appealed. Instead I used a P&M Panther with a Watsonian Palma sidecar.


Lomax (kit car) - Wikipedia




Colin

There is a few lomaxs in australia. They often have BMW flat twins fitted to lift the performance a little

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

There is a few lomaxs in australia. They often have BMW flat twins fitted to lift the performance a little

Another one I looked at was the Triking based on a Moto Guzzi
Triking - Wikipedia

Bonus in the UK was that you could drive 3-wheelers on a motorcycle licence. Early on you had to blank off reverse gear (if fitted) to comply but then as large bikes were introduced with reverse gear that was dropped.


Colin

Land Rover and Guzzi? Talk about glutton for punishment.